The Cero Family Visits Italy!

My mom, dad and brother visited Italy this past week. After spending a day in Rome we boarded a train and traveled to Florence, where we stayed over Easter. Unlike our first field trip, Florence was packed. The line to get into the Duomo was wrapped around the church, and the line to see Michelangelo’s David trailed down the street. On Sunday we went on a bike tour of Tuscany. We arrived at a 12th century castle and tasted wine from their vineyards and their olive oil (both were fantastic). We rode for 13 miles until the sun started to set. We came back to Rome on Monday and saw the typical tourist sites (my parents and brother continued to do this up until they left). Only about three more weeks until I see them again!

Weekend in Capri

This past weekend the class visited Capri (off the coast of Naples, Italy). The weather was beautiful and our time there was completely stress free (except for the cab ride in Naples... I thought we were going to die). We arrived in Capri Thursday evening by boat, dropped our luggage off at our four star hotel (!) and ate an excellent dinner in town. At night nearly everyone went down to the beach/ rocks to hang out and Chloe, Ryan and Wil jumped in the water (I give them credit... it was freezing). On Friday we broke into groups of 10: half of the class visited Casa Malaparte and the other half had a free day. I just so happened to be in the group that visited Curzio Malaparte's place of exhile. I found it extremely interesting that even after severe storms/ waves crashing against the house, the house still stands in near perfect condition (apparently the upkeep is approximately 100,000 Euros each year). We spent the day sketching, sunbathing on the roof of the house and dipping our feet in the surrounding water. On Saturday our group visited Anacapri. We went on an impromptu hike to the Blue Grotto and were able to go inside via boat. The water and light inside was phenomenal; unfortunately, the bulk of my photos didn't turn out. Next we went to Villa San Michele and then went on a hike to the top of one of the mountains (we were so high up that we were literally in the clouds). We ended the day by going shopping and getting custom made sandals. We finished our trip off by taking a cruise around the island this morning. Once again we couldn't have asked for better weather. Some of us braved the cold water and swam to see the White Grotto (amazing!) but after that we stayed on the boat for the duration of the trip. I'm definitely coming back here as soon as possible!

Ostia Antica

Yesterday the class took a field trip to Ostia Antica. Located at the mouth of the Tiber River, Ostia was used as ancient Rome's harbor city. Luckily the weather held up and everyone was able to explore the ruins. I personally enjoyed visiting the Garden Houses closest to the river... the remaining architecture and the greenery were beautiful.

Field Trip Two

MILAN
Our first stop on field trip number two was Milan, Italy. Though the city itself was a bit different than what I had expected, it was BEAUTIFUL! There was significantly more modern architecture than there is in Rome. We visited the contemporary Università Bocconi by Grafton Architects (which received the 'World Building of the Year' award in 2008); the use of glass and concrete was extremely impressive.The class also visited Cino Zucchi’s Subsidized Housing al Portello Milano which made use of additive and subtractive space. Milan has Burger King! We basically ate there for every meal and reminisced about (fast) food in the States. As great as the food was that BK had to offer, we had a wonderful group “aperitivo” in Via Brera. Everyone bought a drink and included in the price was access to an extensive dinner buffet (think pastas, vegetable dishes, bruschetta, etc.). We’ve already decided to search for Roman restaurants/ bars that offer said meals. During our free time Mary, Sheila and I climbed the to the top of the Duomo, sunbathed on top of the Nave and looked out over the Piazza del Duomo and the city of Milan (great, once-in-a-lifetime experience). We also window shopped at Prada, which was housed in the beautiful Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II. Unfortunately we couldn't afford anything (not even a keychain!). Perhaps next time…

TORINO
On March 21 the class took a daytrip to Torino. Prior to our trip I had heard little about the city but once I arrived I was very impressed with the city planning. The city was very clean, creatively utilized pedestrian and vehicular paths, and each piazza opened up to one even more beautiful than the former. We visited Mole Antonelliana and traveled through the interior of the building to the top by means of a glass elevator suspended by cables. We also went to see Palafuksas Piazza della Repubblica by Massimiliano Fuksas (a shopping mall on what seemed to be the outskirts of the city) but it was unfortunately abandoned by the time we got there. The firm apparently had won numberous awards for their creative use of stacking glass to create intriguing facades. My personal favorite part of the trip was visiting the Duomo e cappella della Santa Sindone, which houses the Shroud of Turin. This piece of fabric bears the image of a crucified man that is thought to be Jesus (definitely awe-inspiring).

COMO
George Clooney has a Villa here! Unfortunately I wasn’t able to wine and dine with him but the amazing architecture, food, and sights the city had to offer made up for it.
Vyt and Marina took us to Palazzo Novocomum, an apartment complex by Giuseppi Terragni and we toured an apartment unit and the rooftop garden. In this building, Terragni played with additive and subtractive space through curvalinear and rigid surfaces. We also visited Terragni’s Casa del Fascio and learned about his implication of rhythm in architecture (specifically on the facades of the building). This reinforced concrete building is considered to be part of the rationalist movement and is now used as an office building for the police force in Como.
On our free time, Dean, Sheila, Mary, Chloe and I took the trolley to the top of one of the mountains and watched the sun set over the lake. Though I took multiple pictures they don’t seem to do justice. I hope I get the opportunity to go back and do this again!

VALS
Simply put, Vals was amazing. We stayed at the beautiful Therme Vals hotel (which had the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept on) and spent the day at the Peter Zumthor’s baths. It was great to experience the architecture and the space (not just read about it or take photos of it). The baths were the size of swimming pools: there were extremely hot baths, extremely cold ones, baths with flower and rose petals floating in the water, etc. My personal favorite was the heated outdoor bath that had perfectly framed views of the Alps. And, to make the experience in this bath even better, it was snowing!
Word to the wise: book spa treatments ahead of time! And allot at least an hour for the breakfast buffet (pretzels, Swiss cheese, various fruit, tea, yogurt… I could go on forever).

ZURICH
On March 25 we arrived in Zurich. We were able to see the Heidi Weber Pavilion by Le Corbusier as well as the Stadelhofen Railway Station by Santiago Calatrava. I wasn’t so much a fan of the former for a reason I can’t seem to pinpoint, but I really enjoyed visiting and sketching the Railway Station. His sweeping use of concrete made both materials seem light as air, and the his detailing was... well, fantastic. We also were able to visit the Reitberg Museum by Grazioli and Adolf Krischanitz. The various buildings on the museum’s grounds had such rich histories to them (as seen in books in the bookstore) and the new addition complimented them nicely. It wasn’t imposing to the site and took up barely any space (the majority of the museum is located underground). On our free time we visited a contemporary art museum (unfortunately I forget the name) but I’d definitely recommend it!
Word to the wise: Buy Swiss army knives here! It’s harder to find ones in Basel! Also, try Gruyere cheese and Stange beer.

BASEL

On the last full day of our trip we took a train to Basel. We were able to visit the Foundation Beyeler by Renzo Piano (great bookstore). He implemented an impressive skylight system with fins and screens into the design of the building so that the artwork would be viewed properly. The design of the building also didn’t overpower the artwork it housed, which I found to be respectful. We visited the Architecture Museum and searced the city for Swiss army knives on our own time.

MACRO

Yesterday we were able to visit Odile Decq's Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Roma (which was under construction). It was amazing to see the innovative technology of glass beams and columns incorporated into the building design and to see the new construction mesh with the classic architecture of the existing Peroni factory. Intended to house contemporary artwork, the museum also largely functions as a community space (though the building takes up a city block, much of the space will be open to the public). I found the glass rooftop garden and fountain to be particularly interesting and would love to come back in 13 months to see the finished product!

Paris Photos

Prague!

Prague was BEAUTIFUL. I felt that there wasn't an over abundance of tourist attractions (which was nice) but instead the city is meant to be explored. We met up with some people from Barcelona (Scott, Alex, Jenna, Andrew, Andres) and met some people from England who were staying at our hostel. Over our stay we toured a brewery, saw Fred & Ginger, explored the Prague Castle and ate in the Old Town Square. We also discovered that Czech food is amazing and a five course meal at a nice restaurant costs about 40 USD (we liked that aspect of the city). Bottom line: three days in Prague is too short!

Spring Break 2009

Mary, Sheila and I flew to Paris for the first part of our spring break and today we traveled to Prague (we're here until Saturday). Paris was amazing... the food was excellent (omlettes, croissants and CREPES daily) as was the architecture. On Saturday we climbed the Eiffel Tower (after 680 steps we took the elevator to the top) and visited the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame at night. Sunday was free museum day so we dropped by the Louvre (saw the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Madonna on the Rocks and an Egyptian exhibit) and visited the Pompidou Center. We also toured Notre Dame Cathedral that morning and I honestly have never taken so many pictures of a single church. We spent Monday shopping (I hear the fashion's pretty good in Paris) and we each bought Longchamp purses at Le Bon Marche (one of Paris' most famous shopping centers) for about half the price that they are sold in the US. We couldn't afford anything else there but we'll visit again and drop more money once we're famous architects. On Tuesday we planned to visit Versailles and Villa Savoye but we only got around to seeing the former. We also made an impromptu stop to visit one of Hector Guimard's famous Metro stops that we had learned about in history class. I found that the majority of the people we encountered knew English, so that was a definite plus. A word of warning: the metro system (the RER) can be confusing so keep a map handy at all times. But overall, the trip was well worth it and I could definitely see myself relocating to Paris. Permanently.

Trip to Naples!

This past weekend Sheila, Mary and I hopped on the train and spent the weekend in Naples. We couldn't have asked for better weather and our hotel, complete with a rooftop garden, was right on the waterfront. On Friday we went to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli where we saw sculptures and mosaics from Pompeii; we also walked around the city (and bought authentic cameos and turquoise earrings) until sunset and ate dinner at a local pizzeria. On Saturday we toured both Pompeii and Sorento (which was my personal favorite- a town with the perfect mix of modern amenities and old world Italy) and at night headed back to Naples. We concluded our trip today with a long walk along the waterfront and around various marinas.

Castle on the water in Naples with view of Mount Vesuvius

Naples shoreline

Pompeii

View of the Bay of Naples from Sorento

Project One: Piazza Navona Analysis

Ara Pacis

Yesterday the class visited Richard Meier's building that houses the ancient Roman Altar of Peace ('Ara Pacis'). The altar, which honored the peace and prosperity during the Augustan empire, was commissioned by the Roman Senate honor Augustus' return from Spain and Gaul of the Roman emperor Augustus.

An exhibition on the lower level of the building celebrated the works of Bruno Munari, an Italian sculptor, painter and designer.

Conference on Climate Change

On Tuesday, Sheila, Mary and I were lucky enough to attend Nancy Pelosi's conference at the American University of Rome, titled “Tackling Climate Change: The Way Forward to Copenhagen”. Select members of Congress and representatives met with Italian officials (who, by the way, loved the fact that Nancy is the first Italian American Speaker) to discuss topics such as the implementation of power grids and various other climate change protocols. Persons present included George Miller, Edward Markey (who presented an excellent argument in which he stated the majority of pollution 'up there' is red, white and blue), Giuliano Amato and Antonio Navarra. Ms. Pelosi answered questions that arose concerning President Obama's plans to tackle this issue, stating that Mr. Obama will acknowledge rather than dismiss the Kyoto Protocol.

Highlights from Field Trip 1

FLORENCE

• Santa Maria Novella: Example of the Renaissance 'Gesu' facade by Alberti
• Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana by Michelangelo: Beautiful courtyard and terracotta floor
• Santa Maria del Fiore: Climbed Brunelleschi's 'Duomo'- terrific view of Florence's skyline
• Piazza Signoria: L-shaped palazzo in front of the Palazzo Vecchio
• Ponte Vecchio Bridge: Bridge that spans the Arno River lined with shops
• Uffizi Gallery: Contains works from major Italian artists such as Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Raffaello
• Spedale degli Innocenti: Also known as the 'Hospital of the Innocents'; designed by Brunelleschi
  

PISA

• Leaning Tower: Belltower for the Cathedral of the city of Pisa that leans due to its faulty foundation and subsoil

BOLOGNA

• Le Corbusier's Exhibition: Recreation of L'Espirit Nouveau
• Arcaded streets

VENICE

• Campanile di San Marco: Excellent view of the city from the top!
• Piazza San Marco
• San Giorgio Maggiore: Church designed by Palladio on an island of Venice
• Santa Maria Della Salute: Baroque basilica
  

VICENZA

• Teatro Olimpico: Renaissance theater designed by Palladio
• Palazzo Chiericati: Palladio!'
• Palazzo Barbaran da Porta: Urban palace designed by Palladio
• Palazzo Valmarano Brago: Palladio's use of giant orders
• Villa Emo: Palladian villa in the Veneto designed for the Emo family
• Villa Rotunda: One of Palladio's best known villas outside of Vicenza
• Villa Barbaro: Large villa at Maser designed by Palladio
• Brion Cemetary: Cemetary designed by Carlo Scarpa

VERONA

• Romeo & Juliet balcony: Don't go here if you're heartbroken
• Castel Vecchio: Castel with Scarpian touches
  

Some Artsy Photos...

Apartment complex in Pisa

Palladio's Villa Rotunda



















Shop overlooking the river in Florence

Anna's Travel Tips

1. Do not bring a 27 inch suitcase whilst traveling. Period. Italy has not caught on to ramps, elevators, escalators, etc.
2. Tide-to-Go is a miracle worker.
3. Bring two fully charged camera batteries everywhere you go.
4. Forget about heels in Italian cities. No matter what anyone says, walking shoes are "in" these days.
5. Research places to go out/ eat at before going to the cities.

Places to Go!

• FORNO (Campo)- Panini, cookies
• BAR SAN CRISPINO (Near Pantheon)- Excellent pear gelato
• DI PER DI- Cheapest groceries, largest assortment
• INSALATA RICCA (Campo)- Amazing honey salad
• BAFFETO- Best buy pizzeria near Piazza Navona
• MIMI E COCO- Great food and wine near Piazza Navona. Good for outdoor candlelit dinners with friends!
• JOSEPHINE'S BAKERY- Custom made birthday cakes, cookies and cupcakes right near Campo

Artsy Photos Continued...

Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore

Santa Maria in Aracoeli

Sites Visited

• Campo de' Fiori
• Piazza Navona
• Piazza Rotunda & The Pantheon
• Roman Forum
• Imperial Forum
• Piazza Sant' Ignatio
• Campigdolio
• Colosseum
• Victor Emmanuel Monument
• Quattro al Fontaine
• Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Pictures of the trip thus far...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34395597@N06/?saved=1